#tuggelurina

A little Cats Regents Tuggelurina

@jelliclekay

It had been a few weeks since Demeter and Bombalurina had returned to the Junkyard.

Tugger had kept his distance from the sisters, not because he didn't want to see them, but because the sight of them, the way they watched everything with wary eyes and flinched away from sudden noises, it all reminded him too heavily of how he failed.

His scars.

The proof that he was too weak to protect the two queens he cared about from his brother.

As much as Tugger wanted to spend hours reuniting with his friends, holding onto them, his guilt held him back.

So it was Bombalurina who sought him out, meeting him on the scaffolding, his favorite perch in the Junkyard. He was hanging off the railing, legs dangling over the edge as he watched the cats below.

"Tugs?"

He jumped at the quiet voice, head whipping around to look at Bombalurina, who gave him a small smile.

"Hey, Bombie." he said softly, shifting to allow Bombalurina a space beside him to slip down and sit. Their shoulders brushed, a hesitant, gentle touch. "How are you settling back in?"

Bombalurina let out a sigh. "I'm alright. It's... different."

Tugger nodded, understanding in his eyes. "Dem's doing alright?"

"She's getting there." the red queen replied, eyes falling down to where she could see Demeter curled up on top of the tire, little Jemima in her arms. "Munkustrap's helping."

"We've missed you both." Tugger offered, a slight smile on his face. He had to will his eyes to remain dry, because he knew that if he said more, he would start crying.

Bombalurina returned his smile. "I've missed you too." She reached out slowly, brushing her paw through his mane, pausing when she brushed the skin beneath. "What's that?"

Tugger tensed. "Nothing." Bombalurina gave him a look, still knowing him better than anyone else after so long apart. Heaving a deep sigh, he reached up, pushing his mane to the side and revealing the scars across his collarbone, scars he hid daily from the other Jellicles. Bombalurina gasped sharply.

"Tugs... is that from...?" Bombalurina trailed off, the memory of Macavity's departure from the tribe still fresh and raw in her memory. The sound of Tugger's scream would stay with her for the rest of her life, she was positive.

"Lovely, aren't they?" Tugger laughed sharply, shaking his mane back out to hide the scars. Bombalurina grabbed onto his paw, twisting her own arm around to reveal three scars across her upper arm. The maine coon's eyes widened. "Bomba..."

The queen's smile dimmed slightly as she ran her paw over the marks. "It was the only time he actually left a mark. The first time I spoke back."

Unable to hold himself back, Tugger reached out, slowly, to give her a chance to pull away. When she simply continued to look at him with guarded eyes, he pulled Bombalurina into a tight embrace. After a moment of stiffness, she fell into him, her own arms wrapping around his waist as she tucked herself against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you." Tugger whispered, resting his head on top of hers.

Bombalurina shook her head. "It wasn't your job to protect me."

He smiled to himself, sad and bittersweet. "I wanted it to be, though."

"We'll protect each other, Tugs. From now on."

"Promise?"

it’s their week 😌 @jelliclekay

"Bombie?"

The red queen shifted from her perch on top of the oven, glancing over the ledge to see Tugger standing below, the other kitten bouncing on his toes.

"Tugs?"

Tugger beamed upon hearing her answer. "Whatcha doing?"

"I didn't want to hang out with anybody, so I'm up here." Bombalurina replied, rolling onto her back and staring up at the sky.

Tugger let out a quiet hum, and scurried around to the back of the oven, where there was a small ladder leading up to the top. Bombalurina giggled as he slid on the metal, colliding with her side and flopping on top of her.

"Hi!" the kitten maine coon said brightly.

Bombalurina rolled her eyes as she shoved him off of her. "Get off, you're heavy!"

Tugger pouted, but laid down beside her, and she shifted, leaning her head onto his shoulder. The two kittens sat together in silence as the sun disappeared below the horizon, plunging them into a midnight blue evening, the breeze gently blowing around them.

"Dad told Mac, Munkus, and I that the stars are Jellicles who haven't gotten to be reborn yet." Tugger said softly, as though speaking with his usual loud tone would chase the peace away.

"That's what Mum says." Bombalurina replied. "Does that mean that they watch us all the time?"

Tugger snorted. "I hope not. But... it'd be nice to know that maybe, when Dad ends up getting Chosen one day, he'll be watching all of us."

They fell back into a comfortable silence, their paws brushing each other's as they stared at the stars.

It was Bombalurina's turn to break the silence. "Do you want to get Chosen one day?" The Jellicle Ball was coming up in a few days. Of course, neither of them was of age yet, so they would be spending the evening hanging out with Demeter, Munkustrap, and the other too-young kittens, though the stories of cats getting Chosen and the magic of the evening was exciting to hear, and they could not wait until they were old enough to experience everything for the first time.

"Of course!" Tugger exclaimed excitedly, sitting up with bright, sparkling eyes. "But I want to live first."

"Go on adventures?" Bombalurina sat up as well, her smile just as bright as Tugger's.

The other kitten nodded fervently. "Lots of adventures! Not just in London, but all over the world!"

Bombalurina gasped, grabbing onto her friend's hand. "We can hop on Dad's train and just go off to wherever we want!" Tugger's tail swished excitedly, making Bombalurina giggle. "Mum's heard Bustopher talking about how there are so many new things to see in Paris, we could start there!"

"What if we take Demmy and Munkus with us? The four of us, all on our own!"

"We're going to do it, I know we will!" Bombalurina said.

Tugger let out a giddy laugh, leaning into Bombalurina, and she pressed her head against his.

"One day, we'll get to see the world." Tugger sighed. "We'll come back, and we'll become the stars, and we'll get to show off for everyone."

Bombalurina beamed, holding Tugger's paw in her own as they both looked up to look at the stars, to the Jellicles who came before them.

@jelliclekay

When the Ball was over, a multitude of emotions circulated throughout the Junkyard.

"How are you?"

Bombalurina and Tugger had climbed up onto the scaffolding, tucking themselves away in the shadows, shoulders pressing against each other's.

"So tired." Tugger said with a huff.

The red queen laughed quietly in agreement. "Tonight was... a lot."

Tugger shifted, putting his arm around Bombalurina's shoulders and pulling her close, letting out a deep rumble of a purr. "Did you get hurt during the fight?"

"Physically or emotionally?" Bombalurina said, hating the way that her voice shook. Tugger's arm tightened around her.

"Bombs...

The red tabby queen let out an angry sound, wrapping her arms around her stomach. “I thought I was done with this, Tugs. We left him, I didn't have to look over my shoulder anymore." Furious tears filled her eyes as she looked down at the Junkyard, where the Jellicles were cleaning up broken bits of junk from Macavity's attack. "Now... Everlasting Cat, is this what's going to happen? Is he going to start showing up and try to take us back?"

Tugger moved to sit across from Bombalurina, gripping her shoulders gently. "If he even tries to touch you, Bombalurina, I will kill him. I don't care that he's my brother. You're my Bomba, and I'm not letting anything happen to you or Dem."

Bombalurina leaned forward, pressing her forehead against Tugger's. His paws moved down to hold onto hers, gripping them tightly and grounding her.

She took a deep breath. "I'm just so tired of being afraid of him, Tugger."

“I understand, Bombie." Tugger said, voice warm as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "It's been how long since that day? I still have nightmares every now and then about that day, of him standing over me, of Munkustrap not getting to me in time."

The two parted, meeting each other's eyes and sharing a bittersweet smile as Bombalurina wiped at her eyes,

"What a pair we are, huh?"

"Whatever happens to us, whatever comes out way, Bombs..."

"We're dealing with it together?"

this short takes place within the context of my human au, but it can be read as platonic or pre-relationship tuggelurina!!

@jelliclekay

Tugger sat in his treehouse, knees pulled up to his chest. He was trying his hardest to hold back his sobs, wanting to remain hidden away from his father and brother.

His mother was gone, she had left them, and she had taken Macavity with her.

Grizabella hadn't even spared a glance at her youngest son before flouncing off.

Tugger had rushed to his treehouse the second her car disappeared, ignoring Munkustrap's cries and Deuteronomy calling his name.

He was so focused on keeping himself quiet that he didn't notice Bombalurina climbing up poking her head through the entrance. "Can I come in?"

He nodded his head, leaning back against the wall.

Bombalurina climbed up, crawling across the wooden boards to press into Tugger's side, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"She took Mac." Tugger managed to whisper out, his voice shaking. "I wouldn't have cared if she left, but she took my big brother."

Bombalurina held onto his hand. "I know, Tugs."

The blonde boy shook his head fiercely. "Why didn't she take me, Bombie?"

"Did you want her to take you?" Bombalurina asked.

"If she did.….. it would've meant that she wanted me." Tugger spat. "I just wanted to make her happy."

"That's stupid."

Tugger whipped around to look at his best friend, eyes wide. "What?"

Bombalurina took a deep breath. "You make so many other people happy. You know exactly how to make your dad and Munkustrap laugh, even during the hard days when Macavity was being mean. You spend afternoons with my mom learning to knit, just because you know it makes her happy." She held tight to Tugger's hand, tugging him closer into a hug. "You're my best friend, and you make me happy."

"Bombs..." Tugger's eyes filled with tears, and he leaned into Bombalurina's hug, sniffling against her shoulder.

"Grizabella doesn't deserve you, Tugs. Neither does Macavity." the redhead said firmly. "They're stupid, and they don't matter any more.

Tugger let out a watery laugh, nodding.

"Stupid."

Bombalurina beamed, and tugged on his hand, pulling him towards the opening of the treehouse. "Come on. Mom said she wanted to make cookies with us, Munk, and Demmy."